NFL Week 16

Game previews, TV times and predictions

Colts (3-11) at Ravens (8-6)

TV: Saturday, 4:30, NFL Network (Greg Gumbel, Trent Green, Jamie Erdahl)

The matchup: Losers of five in a row, the Colts haven’t scored more than 17 points in any of those games. Young QB Jacoby Brissett has shown promise at times, but the Colts rank near the bottom of the league in most major offensive categories. The Ravens offense has come alive, and though the defense has given up too many big plays, it’s still forcing enough turnovers that the Ravens remain in the playoff hunt. QB Joe Flacco has settled in after a tough start. He’s been helped by the growth of the offensive line and emergence of RB Alex Collins.

Vikings (11-3) at Packers (7-7)

TV: Saturday, 8:30, NBC (Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya)

The matchup: The Vikings clinched their second division title in the last three seasons with one of the most convincing victories of coach Mike Zimmer’s tenure,

34-7 over the Cincinnati Bengals. After another gem from Case Keenum, backup QB Teddy Bridgewater made his longawaited return to his first game action since January 2016. Minnesota can still catch the Eagles and take the NFC’s top seed, but they’re positioned well to finish second, still clinching a first-round bye and at least one home playoff game. A rusty Aaron Rodgers couldn’t mask an underequipped Packers defense in a 31

24 loss to the Panthers. Rodgers, who returned nine weeks after surgery to repair his broken right collarbone, was shut down, and Brett Hundley will start the game after the Packers were eliminated from the playoffs. They could be without top WR Davante Adams (concussion).

Lions (8-6) at Bengals (5-9)

TV: Sunday, 1, Fox (Thom Brennaman, Chris Spielman, Jennifer Hale)

The matchup: The Lions still need help to make the postseason, but they’ve won their last two games to keep their playoff hopes alive. Despite Detroit having the league’s worst rushing offense, QB Matthew Stafford has enough arm and enough receivers he trusts that the Lions continue to score. Marvin Lewis might not return after 15 seasons as Bengals head coach. It’s time the Bengals get a fresh start. A defense that had been solid over the first three months of the season has been gashed lately, and the offense has been mediocre all season. The Bengals have been hit hard by injuries, and the O-line never took the necessary step forward. The Lions have harassed opposing quarterbacks with a variety of pass rushers. If they force the Bengals into must-pass situations, they’ll feast.

Dolphins (6-8) at Chiefs (8-6)

TV: Sunday, 1, CBS (Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon, Jenny Dell)

The matchup: Dolphins QB Jay Cutler’s inconsistency was evident in last week’s loss at Buffalo. Chiefs coach Andy Reid’s team is playing like it did when it started the season 5-0. The Chiefs are back in control of the AFC West after consecutive wins against the divisional rival Raiders and Chargers. They can clinch the division with a win in either of their two remaining games. Chiefs QB Alex Smith is having his best season. His 25-5 TD-tointerception ratio translates into a 105.4 passer rating, best in the league.

Bills (8-6) at Patriots (11-3)

TV: Sunday, 1, CBS (Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson)

The matchup: The win last week vs. Miami enabled the Bills to finish 6-2 at New Era Field, their best home record since

1999, the last season they made the playoffs. RB LeSean McCoy became the 30th player in league history to surpass the

10,000-yard rushing milestone and had rushing and receiving TDs. QB Tyrod Taylor, back after missing a game because of a bruised knee, passed for one TD and ran for one. New England clinched its ninth consecutive AFC East title and took over the top conference seed with a controversial 27-24 victory at Pittsburgh. The Bills’ best bet is to get McCoy and the run game going. The Patriots allowed the Steelers to run for 143 yards. Pats RB Dion Lewis gained 92 yards in the first Bills game and could be used more if Rex Burkhead is hampered by a knee injury.

Browns (0-14) at Bears (4-10)

TV: Sunday, 1, Fox (Tom McCarthy, Steve Beuerlein, Steve Tasker)

The matchup: One week after Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said coach Hue Jackson (1-29 record) would return in 2018, intrigue grew regarding Jackson’s potential candidacy for a possible Bengals opening. Jackson’s Browns again failed to secure their first win, with QB DeShone Kizer committing three turnovers, but Jackson said Monday that the rookie would start this weekend. The Bears’ 20-10 loss to the Lions served as another reminder that top pick QB Mitchell Trubisky, whose first 300-yard passing game was marred by his first three-giveaway outing, needs more help.

Buccaneers (4-10) at Panthers (10-4)

TV: Sunday, 1, Fox (Kenny Albert, Ronde Barber, Kristina Pink)

The matchup: Bucs coach Dirk Koetter and his underachieving team are simply trying to keep it together as their season comes to a crashing thud. One thing is certain: The Bucs will miss the playoffs for the 10th year in a row. Panthers coach Ron Rivera’s leadership skills will be on display over the next few weeks as they continue to pursue a playoff berth. How well the Panthers deal with the distractions of an investigation into owner Jerry Richardson could make or break their season. They will be missing LB Thomas Davis, suspended for a blindside hit on Green Bay’s Davante Adams.

Falcons (9-5) at Saints (10-4)

TV: Sunday, 1, Fox (Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis, Pam Oliver)

The matchup: There is no love lost between these franchises. In their Week 14 game won by host Atlanta 20-17, TV cameras caught Saints coach Sean Payton making a choking gesture in the direction of Falcons RB Devonta Freeman in reference to their collapse in Super Bowl LI. Also during the game, Payton charged on the field late in the game, drawing a $10,000 fine from the league office. The Saints stumbled through the Jets game and won but might have lost veteran RG Larry Warford (concussion protocol) in the process. But they will have rookie RB Alvin Kamara, who exited the first meeting early because of concussion-like symptoms. The Falcons escaped with a win in the first meeting, despite three interceptions by QB Matt Ryan.

Broncos (5-9) at Redskins (6-8)

TV: Sunday, 1, CBS (Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta)

The matchup: After an eight-game losing streak, the Broncos have won two in a row, outscoring those teams 48-13. QB Brock Osweiler played well in relief of Trevor Siemian, who is on injured reserve (shoulder), but with Paxton Lynch recovered (ankle), coach Vance Joseph must decide who’s starting this week. The Redskins, devastated by injuries throughout the season, ended a twogame losing streak in a 20-15 win against Arizona. With a shuffled line and injured runners and receivers, QB Kirk Cousins has thrown only nine interceptions.

Rams (10-4) at Titans (8-6)

TV: Sunday, 1, Fox (Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston, Laura Okmin)

The matchup: The Rams improved to 6-1 on the road with a huge 42-7 win in Seattle and sit firmly in the NFC West driver’s seat, on the edge of winning their first division title since 2003. Todd Gurley rushed for 152 yards and had four TDs. The Rams’ 34-point halftime lead in a road game was the largest in franchise history. Tennessee’s 25-23 loss to San Francisco on a game-winning field goal damaged its playoff hopes. Titans QB Marcus Mariota has thrown a career-high 14 interceptions, many of which have come when he was facing a blitz of four or more pass rushers. If Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips dials up his usual pass pressure, Mariota will be in trouble.

Chargers (7-7) at Jets (5-9)

TV: Sunday, 1, CBS (Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts, Evan Washburn)

The matchup: DEs Joey Bosa (111⁄ 2) and Melvin Ingram (10) have helped the Chargers total 38 sacks this season, which means the Jets offensive line will be challenged to protect young QB Bryce Petty. With a combination of RBs Bilal Powell, Matt Forte and Elijah McGuire, the Jets need to run. New York’s defensive line is better when Muhammad Wilkerson plays. Coupled with Leonard Williams, that will be a handful for the Chargers offensive line. Chargers RB Melvin Gordon fell 3 yards short of reaching 1,000 last season and has 931 now.

Jaguars (10-4) at 49ers (4-10)

TV: Sunday, 4:05, CBS (Andrew Catalon, James Lofton)

The matchup: For a team that was supposed to be a quarterback away from being a legitimate contender, Jacksonville is getting a lot out of QB Blake Bortles lately. Bortles is playing the best football of his career, having beaten the Seahawks and Texans impressively the last two weeks. The Jaguars can clinch the AFC South with a win, and the top AFC seed and a first-round bye are still in play. If RB Leonard Fournette is back, the Jaguars have to feel good about what they can do on offense. It’s rare to find a 4-10 team feeling pretty good about itself, but the 49ers have won four of five while getting a boost from new QB Jimmy Garoppolo.

Seahawks (8-6) at Cowboys (8-6)

TV: Sunday, 4:25, Fox (Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews)

The matchup: Last week’s obliteration by the Rams left Seattle all but knocked out of the race for the NFC West title and hanging on to fading hopes for a wildcard spot. The battered defense, playing without injured Pro Bowlers in CB Richard Sherman, SS Kam Chancellor, DE Cliff Avril and LB K.J. Wright and with MLB Bobby Wagner hobbled, was shredded by RB Todd Gurley. QB Russell Wilson took seven sacks and fumbled twice. Dallas is barely hanging on in the playoff hunt and needs to win its last two games and get help from Atlanta and Detroit. But RB Ezekiel Elliott, the heart of their offense, is back from a six-game suspension. The formula with Elliott is run, control the clock, keep its defense off the field and get big plays in the passing game.

Giants (2-12) at Cardinals (6-8)

TV: Sunday, 4:25, Fox (Dick Stockton, Mark Schlereth, Shannon Spake)

The matchup: Giants QB Eli Manning is doing what he can to prove he’s not done, and a 434-yard performance in Week 15 vs. the Eagles provided solid evidence. Whether he’s playing for his Giants job or auditioning for other teams remains to be seen. What’s clear is that New York is ready to move on from this season. The Cardinals are playing for pride and maybe coach Bruce Arians’ job. Back-to-back losing seasons wouldn’t look good. Arizona has been devastated by injuries, but the Cardinals weren’t playing well even when healthy.

Steelers (11-3) at Texans (4-10)

TV: Monday 4:30, NBC, NFLN (Mike Tirico, Kurt Warner, Heather Cox)

The matchup: To make a crushing 27-24 loss to New England even worse, Steelers star WR Antonio Brown suffered a calf injury that will cause him to miss the rest of the regular season. Ben Roethlisberger will need to find a new option outside of RB Le’Veon Bell, likely in rookie WR JuJu Smith-Schuster and WR Martavis Bryant. With Texans QB Tom Savage out with a concussion, T.J. Yates was ineffective, and the running game was even worse in a 45-7 thumping by the Jagaurs. With nothing on the line, the Texans are forced to spend their Christmas playing one of the NFL’s best teams. The Texans’ pass rush has faced substantial attrition through injury, but OLB Jadeveon Clowney is still a disruptive force.

Raiders (6-8) at Eagles (12-2)

TV: Monday 8:30, ESPN (Sean McDonough, Jon Gruden, Lisa Salters)

The matchup: Oakland’s season effectively ended in excruciating fashion in a 20-17 loss. The Raiders committed a season-high 14 penalties, two of which nullified TDs. The ironman streak by Raiders LT Donald Penn, who had never missed a game in his 11-year career, ended at 170 games. Penn had foot surgery and will miss the rest of the season. With QB Carson Wentz out for the season, Philadelphia struggled to hold on for a win over the last-place Giants, but offense wasn’t the problem. Backup QB Nick Foles was more than adequate and the offense put up its usual 30-plus points. But the previously strong defense struggled badly. One more win locks up the NFC’s No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs for the Eagles. Times p.m. Eastern.

Compiled by Brian Allee-Walsh, Zac Jackson, Jordan Godwin, Scott Pitoniak, Arthur Arkush, Andy Friedlander, Scott Johnson, Howard Balzer.